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Huizenga: Obama, Congress should be cautious with health careBy rephuizenga, Section News
Government could go too far in effort to "fix" system
President Obama obviously intends to make health care reform a top priority in the coming months. I hope he proceeds with caution, so he doesn't unintentionally damage the high quality of health care that many already enjoy. The spiraling cost of health care, and limited access to coverage, should be the targets of reformers. Our government can help address those problems, while being careful not to damage the existing product. (More below...)
Two ideas that have been floated by the administration - creating a multi-billion dollar fund to extend coverage to the underinsured, and taxing private health care programs to help pay for the federal effort - raise warning flags.
Many fear that a massive federal health care program would entice many working Americans to dump their private coverage, which they're generally required to contribute toward, and enroll in a "free" federal system. Or businesses, plagued by high insurance costs, might end their employee insurance programs, since the government would provide funding for that service. That could leave a much larger segment of our population dependent on the government for health care. That would lead to higher taxes to support the federal system, along with federal micromanagement of medical treatment to control costs. Anybody weighing the merits of that type of program should look at the financial condition of Social Security and Medicare. The government has proven that it cannot soundly manage such programs. If government really wants to help, it could focus on making private insurance more affordable for companies, enact tort reform to cut the cost of malpractice insurance, and remove legal barriers preventing groups of small businesses from purchasing cost-saving group plans. Insured Americans can also help by questioning the cost of the care we receive. Many of us don't know the difference in cost between various procedures, because we only pay a small deductible. Unnecessary, expensive procedures drive up costs for insurance companies, who pass them on to consumers. Congress should also consider two market-based reform bills that call for less involvement by the federal government. One bill, sponsored by U.S. Rep. Peter Hoekstra, would offer grants to communities that establish health care partnerships between the community, private companies and employees. The plan is modeled after Muskegon's successful Access Health program. Other Republicans recently introduced a plan that would increase access to insurance through tax credits, create interstate pools for those deemed "uninsurable," and creating state health insurance exchanges, where citizens could shop for their own coverage. I hope all Americans pay close attention to the debate in Washington D.C., and loudly object when officials go too far in its effort to reinvent a fundamentally sound health care system. Former State Rep. Bill Huizenga Zeeland
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Huizenga: Obama, Congress should be cautious with health care | 2 comments (2 topical, 0 hidden)
Huizenga: Obama, Congress should be cautious with health care | 2 comments (2 topical, 0 hidden)
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